ALL SANDBOX NEW

Back in May, my friend Natalie swept me away for fun trip to Brooklyn, NY. You may remember this picture of me getting my make-up done and thought, what's she up to? I'm giddy to finally share that Natalie invited me to be in a hair tutorial video with Garnier!! If you know me at all, you know hair styling is not something I'm great at. My hair is either semi-wet, straight & flat, or blown out by someone else. So I was really excited for this opportunity to learn a new look.


The roughed-up \ messy ponytail is such an easy hairstyle and looks good with everything in my closet. It's a great way to look and keep cool on a hot summer day, but I also see myself wearing this style into fall and winter when my hair becomes a static mess underneath. At least the mess would make more sense this way.

It's no secret that I can be \ feel shy at times so to have a director, a sound guy, camera guy, reps from Garnier, and 5+ other people watching my every move was incredibly nerve racking for me. I was so nervous that the make-up team had to put make-up on my chest because it was turning bright red. HA! Natalie, on the other hand, was such a natural in front of the camera. She's amazing. As uncomfortable as I was, I love pushing and challenging myself to do things a little over my comfort edge. The outcome was definitely worth it. Thanks so much for asking me to be a part of it, Natalie! xo

PS - This is the 2nd time Natalie and I have starred in a video together. Check out our first video here. Details on my look in the video here.

Cheers to summer weather! With warm weather comes the chance to throw a party - and even better, a party outside! Thanks to Marshalls I was fully equipped to put together a fun, outdoor Happy Hour with friends. Our Happy Hour menu featured 3 drinks: Moscow Mules, Strawberry Green Iced Teas, and wine. Continue reading for drink recipes.

Everything turned out so beautiful that I took A LOT of pictures! (Get that scroll finger ready!)










MOSCOW MULE RECIPE - 2 oz Vodka, 10 oz Ginger Beer, 1/2 lime + some for garnish, ice

Squeeze 1/2 of a lime over ice in a shaker. Toss the shell of the lime into the mug along with ice. Pour vodka and top with ginger beer. Shake. Pour into copper mug. Garnish with a lime wheels and paper straws.

This was my first time making Moscow Mules at home, and I wasn't sure what kind of ginger beer to buy but found Reed's Extra Ginger Brew at Trader Joe's. Sooo good! I was waiting to find the perfect copper cups and had almost pulled the trigger on a set of 2 copper cups for $50 online when I saw them at Marshalls for only $14.99 each! Now I'm kicking myself for not getting two more.


STRAWBERRY GREEN ICED TEA - 2 cups of strawberries + some for garnish, 1 liter of cooled brewed green tea, 1/4 cup lemon juice, mint leaves, ice

Puree 2 cups of strawberries and mix with iced green tea and lemon juice. Garnish with a strawberry, mint, and paper straws. Add sugar, rum, champagne, or vodka as desired.

I consciously decided not to add sugar so the tea tasted more like flavored water once the ice melted. It was still a very nice, refreshing non-alcoholic drink option. Next time, I'm going to add more non-pureed berries and mint. My friends ended up spiking theirs with champagne anyway.


Now you understand why my weekend was so good, right? Check your local Marshalls for the perfect outdoor entertaining accessories. I found so many pieces at amazing prices and can't wait to throw another outdoor party.

\\ SHOP \\
Disclosure: I have received free products or value from Marshalls of The TJX Companies, Inc. in connection with my affiliation with Marshalls Project FAB. All opinions are my own.